Exodus 12

Exodus 12 is the chapter in which the death of the firstborn, foretold in chapter 11, actually takes place. Along with the last of the ten plagues, the chapter records the giving of the ordinances of the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and Israel's departure from Egypt.

Outline

• Verses 1–13 The LORD commands that this month be the first month of the year. On the tenth day a lamb without blemish, a male of the first year, is to be chosen; it is to be killed at evening on the fourteenth day, and its blood applied to the two side posts and the lintel (the crossbeam above the door). The meat is to be roasted and eaten in haste with unleavened bread (bread made without yeast) and bitter herbs. The LORD declares that when He sees the blood, He will pass over that house.
• Verses 14–20 The ordinance of the Feast of Unleavened Bread is given: unleavened bread is to be eaten for seven days, from the evening of the fourteenth day of the first month until the evening of the twenty-first.
• Verses 21–28 Moses instructs the elders to apply the blood with hyssop and to explain the meaning of this rite when their children ask about it. The people worship and do as they are commanded.
• Verses 29–36 At midnight the firstborn die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh to the firstborn of the captive in the dungeon, along with the firstborn of the livestock. Pharaoh tells the Israelites to leave, and the people go out carrying their kneading troughs, having received jewels of silver and gold and clothing from the Egyptians.
• Verses 37–42 The people journey from Raamses to Succoth. They numbered about six hundred thousand men on foot, and a mixed multitude went out with them. The text gives the length of the sojourn in Egypt as four hundred thirty years.
• Verses 43–51 Regulations for participation in the Passover are given. A foreigner may not eat of it, but a circumcised servant and a circumcised stranger may. The command not to break any of the lamb's bones is also given here.

Key Verses

• Exodus 12:13 "When I see the blood, I will pass over you" — the source of the name "Passover."
• Exodus 12:26–27 "What mean ye by this service?" — frequently cited as a passage about passing on the faith to the next generation.
• Exodus 12:46 "Neither shall ye break a bone thereof" — a verse the New Testament connects with the death of Jesus.

People and Places

• Moses and Aaron: convey the LORD's commands to the people.
• Pharaoh: the king of Egypt, who lets Israel go after losing his firstborn.
• Egypt: the land where Israel lived in bondage.
• Raamses: the Egyptian city from which Israel set out.
• Succoth: the first place Israel reached after leaving Raamses.

Points for Reflection

• Four hundred thirty years: Genesis 15:13 gives the figure as four hundred years. The Septuagint renders this period as the combined time of sojourning in Egypt and Canaan, and Galatians 3:17 also mentions four hundred thirty years. Scholars differ on how this figure should be reckoned.
• Six hundred thousand men: Some take this as a literal count. Others interpret the Hebrew word translated "thousand" as referring to a clan or military unit.
• Connections with the New Testament: John 19:36 applies verse 46 to Jesus, and 1 Corinthians 5:7 calls Christ "our passover." The Last Supper also took place around the time of the Passover. For these reasons, the Lord's Supper is often explained in connection with the Passover.
• Interpretations beyond the text: Some homiletical interpretations see the blood applied to the door as forming the shape of a cross, but this is not stated in the text.

In the Korean Church

This chapter is frequently read in Holy Week sermons and at celebrations of the Lord's Supper when Christ is presented as the "Passover Lamb." In Sunday schools it is taught as the climax of the Exodus narrative.